Year 12

The artwork presented at Mas Blanch i Jové’s The Artists’ Vineyard, called “Llanga,” is a sculptural representation of a drawing created by the artist. This drawing depicts a lizard, one of the animals that has been a protagonist in the author’s works such as “Saberut i Cua-verd”. With this artwork, Llanga, Vallverdú aims to capture the essence and imagination found within the pages of his texts and bring them to life through sculpture.

In fact, Vallverdú has two passions: writing and drawing.

One of the fundamental reasons why Josep Vallverdú’s work deserves a place at Mas Blanch i Jové’s The Artists’ Vineyard is his affinity with the land. With peasant roots, Vallverdú possesses direct knowledge of rural life and has demonstrated a commitment to the defense and dissemination of peasant culture throughout his career. Vallverdú enjoys working the land and living in harmony with nature. Through this artwork, a symbolic connection is established between his love for the land and his literary legacy, creating a unique and enriching artistic experience. This artwork also establishes a harmonious synthesis with Guillem Viladot’s “Poema de l’Home,” a work installed at The Artists’ Vineyard and created by a close friend of Vallverdú.

In this way, the presence of Josep Vallverdú’s artwork at Mas Blanch i Jové’s The Artists’ Vineyard is a well-deserved tribute to one of the most prolific authors in Catalan literature and one of the most recognized. It becomes a tangible representation of his literary imagination and a symbol of his passion for the land—a way to preserve and share his contribution to culture and inspire other artists and literature enthusiasts.

The depiction of animals is highly prevalent in Josep Vallverdú’s work. In the “Bestiolari”, there is a poem dedicated to the lizard:

El llangardaix o lluert
és tot ell de color verd.
Es passeja, ufanós,
senyorívol, orgullós.
I tot de sobte s’afua
sense deixar-se la cua.

Dogs and cats, animals with which he can coexist, are the protagonists of his works, such as “Rovelló”, the eternal dog, or “L’home dels gats”. However, other animals also take center stage in “La conquesta del barri”, “Un estrany a l’Arca”, “El venedor de peixos”, “Un cavall contra Roma”, “Tres xacals a la ciutat”, “En Mir”, l’esquirol; “Gasand i el lleopard”, “El vol del falcó”, “Lladres de cavalls”.

Vallverdú is an author with a great sensitivity towards animals and ecology. This is evidenced by the “Bestiolari” and “Bestiolari 2”, which feature drawings by Manuel Cusachs and include forewords by Pep Coll and Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira, respectively.

The inauguration took place on June 17, 2023, and was an entirely outdoor celebration featuring a standing dinner paired with wines from Mas Blanch i Jové winery, a performance by the Cassigalls Company, and music by Jordi Montañez.

Fotos: Montse Solà